Join Us For Our Holiday Show!!

Christmas Lights!

Today we started the day with a Touch and Feel pool full of letters and numbers!  We have been working really hard to identify all of them, put them in order, match them with sounds, and come up with some words that begin with each one.  The kids were quizzing each other, and doing a great job responding to all of our questions!

Ms. Michelle was here today with some exercise activities!  We started in a circle and listened carefully to follow the directions on how to move our bodies.  We tiptoed, we walked on our heels, and we marched with big knees. Then each child got a turn to "be the teacher" and demonstrate an exercise from a picture card.  There were yoga poses and stretches and holds.  We finished with a "calm down" exercise where you lay on your back, kick your feet on the floor and bang your hands on the floor.  It gets out all the energy and grounds your sensory system.  It's noisy, but the kids seemed to like it!  Finger fun was stringing beads on pipe cleaners to make candy canes.  Some kids made patterns of red and white, and others just picked the beads that they like best.

Our book today was Tractor Mac Saves Christmas by Billy Steers.  This book is about how Tractor Mac helps during a big snowstorm.  The town is super worried that they will have to cancel the tree lighting due to snow.  Farmer Bill heads off to pick up the tree....but gets stuck.  No worries!  Tractor Mac scoops, pulls, and dumps to move the snow.  He leads the way into town helping several other vehicles along the way.  Everyone arrives safe and the tree lighting happens on schedule! What a Merry Christmas thanks to Tractor Mac!

After we watched some Christmas Tree Lightings on the iPad....which the children LOVED.....we made a list of all the things we could think of related to Christmas.  The children came up with a great list....and I did my best to draw pictures.

For art, we took the letters of our name....all mixed up and strung them, in order, on a string like the lights on a tree.  We spelled and respelled and glued until we got it just right.  Then we colored all the lights different colors, just like we see on Christmas trees.

Our Trip to the Library

Today we had a wonderful time at the library!  We left school, and walked down East Boulevard to the Lynx station.  There was a lot to talk about on the way....and lots of Christmas decorations to see! The highlight of the walk there was most definitely when our Fire Station #2 friends went by and blew the horn at us!! The Lynx ride was great!  Through tunnels, over traffic, and lots of people on and off.  Our stop was the last stop on the tracks!  We made it just in time for Family Storytime.  Today's topic was DRAGONS!  The librarian read three stories about dragons, we sang lots of songs....and she ended with bubbles.  Before we left we took a short tour around the library, looking at the computers and the books.  We were surprised to see Santa was at the library.  We didn't stop to talk or take pictures....but we all said HI!  The ride back to school on the Lynx was just as fun, only the kiddo knew more about what to expect.  Back at school, there was only time for lunch and a few Christmas songs before it was time to go home!  It was a crazy, busy, super fun day today!  And the kids did GREAT!!

Officer Wade....and Being Thankful!

We started the day off schedule....but with a great surprise.....our very special visitor today....Officer Wade stopped by!  First, we sat and listened as he told us all about police officers.  They all wear special blue clothes, called a uniform, with a badge and a patch on each arm.  Police officers can drive patrol cars, bikes, helicopters, motorcycles, boats, and sometimes....even horses!  Officer wade told us some good ways to stay safe.   The kids were all really good listeners and asked some intelligent questions!  Then we headed outside to tour the police car.  Definitely the highlight of the experience!  The kids all took turns climbing through the backseat....and some found themselves quite comfortable in the car and didn't want to leave!  We walked around the car and looked at the numbers and words written on the sides.  We observed the lights flashing yellow and blue.  And....then....we listened to the siren.   The kids were a little nervous at first, but it wasn't nearly as loud as they expected.  And we learned that if we hear that siren, it means to move over and slow down because the police are in a hurry to get somewhere!  Officer Wade was so much fun....and he left us all with special police badge stickers and coloring books!  We will be looking for him patrolling the neighborhood on our next Out and About!

 Our story today was Thanksgiving Day Thanks by Laura Malone Elliot. The story was about a class at school. They were completing Thanksgiving projects and had to think of something they were thankful for.  Poor Sam can't think of what to do for his project....or what he's most thankful for.  After much thinking, he attempts to re-create the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but a strong wind ruins his project.  Luckily his friend Mary Ann uses her arrow-shooting skills to rescue one balloon and save the day.  This prompts Sam to finally realize what he is thankful for:  time spent with his family and wonderful friends.

After reading the story, we started to discuss what being thankful means and made a list of some things that we are thankful for in our lives.

For art, the kids used leaves we collected outside to make a leaf turkey. The turkey had a head, beak, eyes and waddle. Then we added colorful leaves as the turkey feathers.

After lunch, we practiced the kids special parts of the holiday show in December. They each took a book home with their part highlighted to they can practice!  They are so looking forward to the Thanksgiving Feast next week with families!  Here are the songs we are going to sing:

A Crazy Wednesday!

Today was a super busy day with LOTS to do!  We started the day with some quiet book time instead of at the Touch and Feel pool.  We weren't there too long, because we had so much to talk about in the morning circle.

Ms. Danielle was here today helping us practice some baseball skills.  It was super muddy outside, so we had a modified indoor baseball game.  Each kiddo took turn hitting the ball off a tee....with reminders to do it easy.  Then they all ran the bases.  Everyone cheered for everyone else.  Great little sportsmen!  Then we played a game of pass the ball around the circle....with 6 balls.  The kids were concentrating and encouraging their friends.

"Today we saw Ms. Laura for music. We worked with rhythm sticks, playing on the beat, fast and slow, loud and soft. Ms. Laura had us tap the floor, our knees, and cross our arms then tap our toes! She said this makes our brains work harder. We played drums, and shakers and bells, while singing "Old McDonald had a Farm"- we got to pull animals out of a bag, and make animal noises while playing our instruments. We then sang a song about the Police, and how they help us stay safe. We talked about how we call 911 only in an emergency! We danced to a song called "Bop Til u Drop", during which we spun in a circle, jumped, moved in slow motion, and wiggled our whole bodies. We then sang a song called "Oh Im glad I'm Not  a Turkey", and read/sang a book about giving thanks on Thanksgiving Day called "Thank you Thanksgiving" Ms. Laura says "Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Gobble Gobble!""

No story today....we read the kids the story that we will perform for the Holiday Show in December.  We talked about what that would look like, who would come, and what the different parts in the show would be.  They were all super excited.  Hoping to send the books home tomorrow, so that you can help us practice at home too!

Mr. Jon was here today for MyGym.  We started the day with some stretching.  Once we were all stretched out, he gave us our surprises....which were pom poms.  We did all kinds of pretend play with the pom poms, even wearing them on our heads!  Our gymnastics activity for today was making our bodies a bridge.  Hands and feet on the mat, while pushing up our middles.  The next thing we did was to move in circle like different kinds of animals.  Mr. Jon would call out an animal name, everyone would start to move in that way, all the time listening for "FREEZE" to indicate a new animal.  The game for today was Grab Your Tail.  We used the belted tails, and each child had one, with the object of running around pulling off other people's tail and keeping your own.  The practice skill of the day is the Inch Worm.  This sills builds arm, should and core strength.  Have your child crouch with their hands by their feet.  Then have your child slowly walk their hands out until he/she is in a "plank position", and then slowly walk feet up to hands.